Barrow fall short on ground and attendance unsure about turnover. Halifax maybe meet the criteria don't know their turnover but they meet everything else

Could be interesting if the RFL decide that the club which finishes higher next season between Halifax & Widnes will replace the club downgraded. There really would be something to play for then..............

Could be interesting if the RFL decide that the club which finishes higher next season between Halifax & Widnes will replace the club downgraded. There really would be something to play for then..............

Could be interesting if the RFL decide that the club which finishes higher next season between Halifax & Widnes will replace the club downgraded. There really would be something to play for then..............

About as likely as them deciding that whoever finishes lowest of Cas, Wakefield or Salford goes down.

Could be interesting if the RFL decide that the club which finishes higher next season between Halifax & Widnes will replace the club downgraded. There really would be something to play for then..............

A bit difficult given they have to decide by March but then again doing it on the 3 year playing average between teams meeting criteria to go up and the worst 3 year average of those missing out on a B license (or equivalent under the new system) to go down. Might spice things up but they wouldn't be happy if Quins went down

a. Barrow need a ground and a larger yearly investment from their sugar daddy. i.e. Millions of pounds.

b. Halifax need a sugar daddy i.e. someone with a few million pounds to lavish on them.

When was the last post that you didn't mention the words 'sugar daddy?'

This post is the usual nonsense and still people don't quite get that's it's not all about on the pitch any more. If it was we would have a totally different situation. Widnes have played by the rules and are far ahead in all aspects except for on the pitch.

We saved our worst performance in over 4 years for yesterday. That's no reason to say we should suddenly be in Super League.

The original thread has now been bypassed and moved on again to who decides what ? Very unsatisfactory.Best teams always . All i asked was to how the shoe ins Widnes +Toulouse will perform next season , Toulouse free of relegation have only gone through the motions ,relegated last year this not much. This current crop of Widnes players dont have a chance of super league contracts.Are virtually 40 games in that league going to be dead rubbers. How good is that ?

The original thread has now been bypassed and moved on again to who decides what ? Very unsatisfactory.Best teams always . All i asked was to how the shoe ins Widnes +Toulouse will perform next season , Toulouse free of relegation have only gone through the motions ,relegated last year this not much. This current crop of Widnes players dont have a chance of super league contracts.Are virtually 40 games in that league going to be dead rubbers. How good is that ?

It's nonsense that's why.

Toulouse aren't coming up, I'll guarantee you of that. If Widnes get the decision in March then players will be playing for Super League contracts. We have been playing many youngsters throughout the last year, so there will probably be quite a lot getting SL contracts and certainly playing for them. Aside from that the prospect of SL might mean that Widnes find recruitment easier in this off season.

If you look at the season in that way, far more than 40 games are dead rubbers. How about all those games that involve clubs that aren't going to get relegated but aren't in danger of threatening the playoffs?

Cheers Shrek that was my original point . Its possible for a team{s} to be relegated from positions above . The red hall ineptitude will unravel itself next march, not a knock on Widnes just the broad picture.

Best team top at the end of season are champions in all creditable frontline sports . If i won a euro millions rollover i could buy and build a tidy stadium and apply for a super league position having ticked a box. Absolute nonsense but thats the rl view and must look very strange to the outside sporting world. Promoting teams who lie 5/7th ?

Not in the US they aren't, every pro league in every sport there uses playoffs to crown their champions. Ditto for Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the English-speaking world, only the UK clings to this notion of giving a championship to the team that finishes first after the regular season. You seem to be unaware that RL used playoffs to determine the championship for decades back there was only one division.

When was the last post that you didn't mention the words 'sugar daddy?'

This post is the usual nonsense and still people don't quite get that's it's not all about on the pitch any more. If it was we would have a totally different situation. Widnes have played by the rules and are far ahead in all aspects except for on the pitch.

No need to get annoyed because a phrase repeats, especially as many phrases will repeat in many people's posts, and many people repeat all sorts of things.

I agree it's not all about on the pitch, but it is all about money up to a point. You need it for the ground and you need it for the players, and you need it for the business. The money that paid for the Stadium at Widnes will be followed by the money that will pay for the players. Any money the club are short will be paid for by the "Sugar daddy".

That's not having a go, it's just pointing out that to compete in Superleague money is needed. Where clubs have that money they can compete. The level of money is set higher than many clubs can afford, probably because they feel they have to stop the GP taking players etc.

You see at Harlequins and Wakefield only this week appeals for "new investors" sugar daddies by any other name. They can't compete because they are short of erm....Money.

The "point" beyond which money currently won't take you is if a club gets a "sugar daddy" but chooses a project in an unviable area for development or bang next to an SL club. If Cliff wins the lottery big time will he be allowed to build a ground and take Bramley to SL, will Blackpool be allowed in SL. I don't think so so it's not all about money.

Widnes are of course welcomed with open arms as are HKR because they can compete, albeit not neccessarily from the sort of geographical position that the SL plans and RFL masters originally would have wanted. Had there been a queue of clubs with money and grounds where would Widnes and HKR be with their geographical disadvantage.

If you are looking for the "usual nonsense" then try looking at all the suggestions about how a club can build in the NL's. The NL's are actually a bit of a graveyard for any budding professional club. There's a nonsense for starters. Clubs that "go forward" in the NL's tend to do it because they have the money to invest to go forward. Opening an academy or creating a marketing department costs erm....Money.

Another nonsense that repeats more than the "sugar daddies" is the championing of Halifax and Leigh for SL. These clubs have a rcord of not being able to hack SL in the past and new grounds or not they won't hack it in the future. But would they hack it if Mr. O'Connor had gone there? I suspect so. Money/sugar daddy is what would make these clubs.

At the current level of money you need to compete in SL we have possibly three clubs who can do that from their normal business turnover. The other 11 places are in reality open to clubs who have enough money to make up the salary cap shortfall or where they don't have it, afford a ground. I don't mind anyone dreaming of Superleague, but it is a fact that you can't compete in Superleague without having someone to provide the additional investment. As for "building in the NL's" that's not really true. Getting into SL will make Widnes. hanging around NL would break them.

Good luck next year in Superleague, another competetive club will be great for the competition and of course Superleague may be able to look forward to Salford and Wakefield perhaps getting the grounds and finances (maybe a better word than "money") to deepen the competition just like Widnes.

The original thread has now been bypassed and moved on again to who decides what ? Very unsatisfactory.Best teams always . All i asked was to how the shoe ins Widnes +Toulouse will perform next season , Toulouse free of relegation have only gone through the motions ,relegated last year this not much. This current crop of Widnes players dont have a chance of super league contracts.Are virtually 40 games in that league going to be dead rubbers. How good is that ?

i answered it but you have ignored it.. c'est la vie..

oh and have you watched tolouse.. they arent "going thourgh the motions" they just arent as good as the other teams..

Widnes team this year has been poor i am sure they would agree and as such they are releasing players and building on the youth who are fighting for places next year for the super league if they get in.

Cheers Shrek that was my original point . Its possible for a team{s} to be relegated from positions above . The red hall ineptitude will unravel itself next march, not a knock on Widnes just the broad picture.

yes in theory widnes could be (tolouse hasnt got a liscence yet and need to be invited to apply) but it is unlikely and it is unimportant becuase the whole franchising set up is about the club not the first team. this announcment on Widnes/Halifax whoever will be made in march so all teams will know that if widnes finnish second to bottom they better not finish 3rd from bottomor they are down.. the teams will know this from the start.. this becomes then a non issue for who gets relegated and goal posts changing etc.. dont see this being an issue or any ineptitude the fact they are making the announcment earlier shows actually IMO a good sense of making sure there is a level playing field and clubs know the situation and the implications of it rather than ineptitude.

Halifax and Leigh for SL. These clubs have a rcord of not being able to hack SL in the past

Apart from the seasons When Fax did compete. At that time they didnt have a "sugar daddy" either. Fax have a record of not being able to "hack" it in one season, the one where we were rightly relegated.

yes in theory widnes could be (tolouse hasnt got a liscence yet and need to be invited to apply) but it is unlikely and it is unimportant becuase the whole franchising set up is about the club not the first team. this announcment on Widnes/Halifax whoever will be made in march so all teams will know that if widnes finnish second to bottom they better not finish 3rd from bottomor they are down.. the teams will know this from the start.. this becomes then a non issue for who gets relegated and goal posts changing etc.. dont see this being an issue or any ineptitude the fact they are making the announcment earlier shows actually IMO a good sense of making sure there is a level playing field and clubs know the situation and the implications of it rather than ineptitude.

Please god its not Leigh though or TRL will suffer a meltdown, two pet hates colliding into one for one of our posters!!!